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.TH DIRNAME 3C "Mar 18, 2002"
.SH NAME
dirname \- report the parent directory name of a file path name
.SH SYNOPSIS
.LP
.nf
#include <libgen.h>

\fBchar *\fR\fBdirname\fR(\fBchar *\fR\fIpath\fR);
.fi

.SH DESCRIPTION
.sp
.LP
The \fBdirname()\fR function takes a pointer to a character string that
contains a pathname, and returns a pointer to a string that is a pathname of
the parent directory of that file.  Trailing '/' characters in the path are not
counted as part of the path.
.sp
.LP
If \fIpath\fR does not contain a '/', then \fBdirname()\fR returns a pointer to
the string "." .  If \fIpath\fR is a null pointer or points to an empty string,
\fBdirname()\fR returns a pointer to the string "." .
.SH RETURN VALUES
.sp
.LP
The \fBdirname()\fR function returns a pointer to a string that is the parent
directory of \fIpath\fR. If \fIpath\fR is a null pointer or points to an empty
string, a pointer to a string "." is returned.
.SH ERRORS
.sp
.LP
No errors are defined.
.SH EXAMPLES
.LP
\fBExample 1 \fRChanging the Current Directory to the Parent Directory.
.sp
.LP
The following code fragment reads a pathname, changes the current working
directory to the parent directory of the named file (see \fBchdir\fR(2)), and
opens the file.

.sp
.in +2
.nf
char path[[MAXPATHLEN], *pathcopy;
int fd;
fgets(path, MAXPATHLEN, stdin);
pathcopy = strdup(path);
chdir(dirname(pathcopy));
fd = open(basename(path), O_RDONLY);
.fi
.in -2

.LP
\fBExample 2 \fRSample Input and Output Strings for \fBdirname()\fR.
.sp
.LP
In the following table, the input string is the value pointed to by \fIpath\fR,
and the output string is the return value of the \fBdirname()\fR function.

.sp

.sp
.TS
box;
c | c
l | l .
\fBInput String\fR	\fBOutput String\fR
_
"/usr/lib""	"/usr"
_
"/usr/"	"/"
_
"usr"	"/"
_
"/"	"/"
_
"."	"."
_
".."	"."
.TE

.SH USAGE
.sp
.LP
The \fBdirname()\fR function modifies the string pointed to by \fIpath\fR.
.sp
.LP
The \fBdirname()\fR and \fBbasename\fR(3C) functions together yield a complete
pathname.  The expression \fBdirname(\fR\fIpath\fR\fB)\fR obtains the pathname
of the directory where \fBbasename(\fR\fIpath\fR\fB)\fR is found.
.SH ATTRIBUTES
.sp
.LP
See \fBattributes\fR(7) for descriptions of the following attributes:
.sp

.sp
.TS
box;
c | c
l | l .
ATTRIBUTE TYPE	ATTRIBUTE VALUE
_
Interface Stability	Standard
_
MT-Level	MT-Safe
.TE

.SH SEE ALSO
.sp
.LP
.BR basename (1),
.BR chdir (2),
.BR basename (3C),
.BR attributes (7),
.BR standards (7)
